Ukiyo-e was a Japanese form of painting that was widely popular in the Edo period because of its ingenious combination with plank trapdoor printing. It originated in the 17th century and ushered in its creative and commercial heyday in Edo in the 18th and 19th centuries, depicting people's daily lives, landscapes, and dramas.
Of course, as a traditional Japanese art, the theme of horror is also indispensable in ukiyo-e art.
Telling ghost stories is a typical custom that Japanese people like in the summer. In the sweltering midsummer, from that era when there was no air conditioning, Japanese people like to sit together and tell terrible stories. These hair-raising horror stories not only dispel the summer heat, but are also used as a way to test each other's boldness.
Edo's evolving popular culture began to emerge in the late 1600s and continued until the late 1800s, which meant a steady demand for works by ukiyo-e artists and writers, including illustrated books. Such books were first introduced in the 1700s, when publishers actively recruited famous ukiyo-e artists to provide illustrations for familiar stories and remakes of folk art.
During the Edo period, the Japanese were particularly fond of ghost-related arts, including song and dance, drama, novels, and of course ukiyo-e. Many ukiyo-e artists of that period drew pictures with the theme of monsters and illusions. Ghosts, ghosts, and strange creatures appear in these exaggerated paintings. These ukiyo-e works of the Edo period attract the public with their dark themes, strange images, and exaggerated plots, and convey a different artistic atmosphere while being creepy.
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Although the ghost theme can be traced all the way back to the hell scrolls of the late Heian period (794-1185) in Japan, in the Edo period, improved literacy and innovations in publishing techniques brought new audiences to the printing of illustrated ghost stories. More and more people are beginning to accept this art.
From a cultural and social perspective, illustrated books devoted to ghostly themes are the equivalent of today's horror comic books, or printed versions of horror movies. However, this horror art was sublimated when skilled ukiyo-e artists such as Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, and Yoshitoshi Chikuoka turned to ghost themes. The superb effect enhances the viewer's imagination and produces a refreshing experience.
The old woman who is never satisfied
A famous example is Yoshitoshi Chikuoka's 1865 creation of The Insatiable Old Woman, which depicts the story of a popular folk tale called the "Sparrow That Cuts Off Its Tongue". It depicts a greedy old woman who brutally cuts off the tongue of a grain-eating sparrow and is eventually punished by a monster that emerges from the treasure chest because of her greed.
Yoshitoshi Chikuoka's depiction of the climax of the story is particularly peculiar, showing the moment the woman opens the box. The appearance of goblins, three-eyed monsters and various other ghouls left her in fear. Her body bent backwards. The artist also shows his sense of humor in this painting, in which various creatures almost look ridiculous under their grotesque and cunning gazes, such as a grimace imitating a child, laughingly opening its mouth.
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"Tokaido Yotsuya Strange Talk" is a ghost story that became popular in 1825. It tells the story of a wife murdered by her husband and returning as a ghost to avenge herself. The terrible details of the story begin with the husband poisoning his wife to be able to marry another woman, and he also kills his servant and ties two bodies to the opposite side of a plank and throws them into the river. The story is so famous that many ukiyo-e artists have chosen to depict it in their own unique style, including Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, and Utagawa Kunisada.
Tokaido Yotsuya weird talk
The story is probably best described in a triptych by Utagawa Kunisada. In the middle of this work, we can see the husband pulling the wooden plank tied to the servant out of the river. There is a special hidden fold on the print, and when the viewer turns the fold, a creepy ghost replaces the middle part.
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In addition to ghosts, there are many scenes depicting monsters in ukiyo-e, such as giants, giant snakes, spiders, nine-tailed foxes, and ghost cats. Yoshitoshi Tsukioka, known as the "Last Ukiyo-e Artist", created many grotesque and frightening paintings. For example, the "Tapestry News" once published a work by Yoshitoshi Tsukioka. The work depicts the story of the "black shopkeeper" who looks for a woman every night and licks her whole body.
Black Shopkeeper
A mythical creature in Japan that resembles a spider is also commonly featured in ukiyo-e. In an anonymous work, the spider is depicted as a creature with a grimace, the body of a tiger and the legs of a spider. In a legend, the monster living in the cave once wrapped Lei Gong in its net, but eventually Lei killed him with a named sword.
In another triptych from master Utagawa Kuniyoshi, a war scene is depicted: shoguns of the shogunate era go to war with various demons, including the grimace spider. The work was so popular that various pirated versions kept appearing. These pirated versions are made with completely recutted pieces, each with a distinct difference compared to the original version.
Another monster in Japanese legend is the Kappa. These creatures hide in the water, and when captured they provide services or impart knowledge to humans. Some kappa are also considered rapists, impregnating women. According to legend, kappa's favorite food is cucumbers, but some kappa also eat meat, and they attack animals, especially livestock.
There are many more depictions of ghosts in ukiyo-e, and it has to be said that these works of art really inspire the audience's sense of fear and take us to the imaginary world built by these famous painters. And this also shifted Japan's horror tradition from oral writing to visual art.
Japan's culture of horror began to catch on at that time and successfully entered modern life with the development of the times. Various horror stories, horror comics and movies have become a continuation of this art.